1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a lumbar stimulation device that is located inside the back of a chair that rocks back and forth between upright and reclined positions as a user shifts his weight in the chair. The lumbar stimulation device is attached to a flexible strap that extends vertically within the back of the chair. When the user leans back, the chair back is pushed downwardly relative to the vertical strap and the lumbar stimulation device attached thereto to make it appear to the user that the lumbar stimulation device is moving upwardly along his back.
2. Background Art
An individual who is seated in a chair may wish to have a focused pressure applied from the back of the chair to a lower (i.e., lumbar) region of his back to enhance his comfort while seated. In addition to enhancing his comfort, applying a focused pressure to the lower back may stimulate or increase the circulation of blood flow. A conventional chair has no moving parts in the back and, therefore, is incapable of generating a focused pressure to be applied to the lower back of the seated individual. That is, because of the static nature of a typical chair back, especially those common to chairs having a back which reclines when the individual shifts his weight backwards, the individual may experience discomfort in his lower back when he remains seated for a long time. Although electrically powered external attachments are known to be used in combination with a chair back to massage an individual's back, such attachments are frequently expensive, require a source of electrical power to operate, and can become separated from the chair back and misplaced.
Therefore, what would be desirable is a chair having a back that tilts back when a user shifts his weight backwards and within which a lumbar stimulation device is located to apply a focused pressure to the user's lower back without first having to be attached to the chair back or operated from an electrical power source.